Sunday, May 17, 2015

Amazing quality, very fashionable and surprisingly capacious for its medium size.

I have to say that the bag looks much better in person than it does in the pictures in this listing. It's very soft and doesn't have this nasty fake leather smell some other bags have. It's very nicely designed too, with two kinds of straps - one in a chic snake print that contrasts the bag's color nicely, and one long shoulder strap made out of material similar to the bag itself (the print is smaller, but the color is the same).

There are 5 additional compartments in total. 4 are on the inside - one zipper compartment on the back wall, two open compartments on the front wall, and one long zipper compartment in the middle. There is also one zipper compartment on the outside of the bag.That gives you plenty of space and ways to organize your bag.

The handbag is big enough to fit 3 hardcover books (I checked), wallet, phone, bunch of pens, some makeup and keys. It's very well made - sewn seamlessly and with nice golden accents throughout. To me, this is more of a semi-casual look. I wear it with my summer dresses and jeans+blouses combos, but I wouldn't wear it to the office or with just a plain t-shirt, as it just wouldn't match well. It's very eye-catching and glam.

Saturday, May 16, 2015

This is a very cute sound sensor lamp for your baby's nursery. It's colorful and very happy-looking. My daughter loves it. She's 14 months now and rarely wakes up at night anymore, but when she does, she sometimes gets scared and needs to be comforted. This lamp works great in two ways - when my daughter makes a sound (doesn't have to be crying or anything loud, the lamp turns on when there's some louder shuffling), the light coming from the lamp is enough to soothe her and calm her down. If that doesn't work, because she's in pain or just woke up from a nightmare, the light helps me get to her bed to comfort her, without turning the brighter lamp on and waking her entirely.

The light isn't too bright, it's a standard nursery night-time light, so it only offers enough brightness for you to be able to see what you're doing without running into things, or waking baby up. The sensor is pretty sensitive, sometimes the lamp turns on when I turn around in bed (I sleep in the same room with my daughter), but because the light is so dimmed, it doesn't disturb my daughter's sleep.

It turns on for 30 seconds at a time. When it's in night mode, it's activated by sound. If needed, you can also tap the top and it will come on, too. Same during day time - you can activate it by tapping. I think it's super useful and I really like the design. It's multi-colored, so it captures baby's attention. My daughter often picks it up just to carry it around and play with it.

It's made out of plastic and runs on batteries. There aren't any sharp edges or pieces that could fall off and be swallowed by your child, so it's safe to place it in your baby's crib and let your child play with it.

I received a free sample of the product for evaluation purposes. All thought and opinions are my own.

Friday, May 15, 2015

Top-shelf quality ingredients and really amazing results after using for only one week! I'm very impressed with this anti aging moisturizer!

I can't tell you how many beauty products I've tried in the past year - I've used tons of serums, oils, moisturizers and creams - but sadly only a handful of them proved to be worth the money. The majority of the products turn out to be very disappointing and ineffective. The Adeline moisturizer is a true gem among skin care products, though. I love everything about it - its consistency, the peppermint-y, natural fragrance, its silky smooth texture, the way it makes my skin feel and look.. it's all truly amazing. This product is now part of my daily routine.

I'm in my early 30s now and my skin used to be really nice and smooth until I had my baby daughter in February of 2014. Since then all the sleepless nights and exhaustion have been taking a huge toll on my body and health. I've noticed dark circles under my eyes and more and more wrinkles every day. I made it my mission to not only improve my appearance, but also work on the health of my skin. I've been trying to come up with a set skin-care routine that would rejuvenate and nourish my skin, but it really hasn't been easy to find the right products. I am still far from being completely satisfied with my daily routine and I'm still experimenting, trying to find good quality, natural and healthy products that I can actually afford.

That being said, the Adelaine moisturizer is one product I can honestly get behind. It feels very luxurious on my skin, it goes on silky smooth and absorbs very fast. You can really feel the moisture lock in your skin. It improves the elasticity of your skin and the overall appearance of it. I can apply a liberal amount of it to my under-eye areas and it doesn't irritate the skin there, nor cause any breakouts. It gently tightens your skin, without the dry and uncomfortable feeling some other anti-aging products cause. It isn't sticky or oily and it smells very refreshing, thanks to the peppermint oil (I just love this smell!).

I love that it's made with top-quality ingredients, such as shea butter, witch hazel extract and green tea extract. The formula seems to be working just great for me, and I have noticed some improvement in my skin tone and some smoothing out of the wrinkles around my eyes. It's a powerful but very gentle, non-irritating moisturizer.

I received a sample for evaluations purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I highly recommend this product!

I thought I'd share with you today some jewelry from Born Pretty store that I ordered a while back. I purchased few more items at that time (including cute reading glasses-shaped ring and a Mocking Jay bracelet) and I only paid about $25 for it all (shipping from Born Pretty store is FREE World Wide and on all orders, plus they accept PayPal).

I love shopping there, they have some really cure accessories, plenty of makeup and other great things like clothes, hair-accessories and more!

The jewelry I got obviously isn't gold or silver (it's not even gold or silver plated), but it's nice enough to wear with a cute outfit :) I am very satisfied with my purchase. The four leaf clover ring could easily pass for real gold, it's rally quite stunning. The rest of the jewelry pieces makes for fabulous finishing touches to cute, girly outfits and that is exactly what I was aiming at!

Be sure to check out BornPretty.com - it's really quite awesome! I also have a special 10% off discount for you, so be sure to use it at checkout!

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Hi guys, for this hop I have a truly fantastic prize to share with you! You can win this set of the super fashionable coral-colored bags and a wallet from the new Vera Bradley Laser-Cut collection! I know! How awesome is that?!

The days are getting longer and hotter and we’re saying Hello to Summer in fun giveaway style!
Beat the heat and hop around to all the participating bloggers’ giveaways at the bottom of this post.
Also, be sure to enter to win the GRAND PRIZE for this event,
an ULTIMATE Backyard Prize Package courtesy of Step2!

Don't forget to enter to win the GRAND PRIZE for this event, an ULTIMATE Backyard Prize Package courtesy of Step2, featuring their Home Run Baseball Trainer, a Clubhouse Climber, and Naturally Playful Sand & Water Table! This prize package is valued at over $700 and will keep your kiddos entertained all summer long! You can enter at Lindsey Blogs or Viva Veltoro.

Lindsey Blogs, Viva Veltoro, and the Something Special for Mom participating bloggers are not responsible for sponsors who do not fulfill prize obligations.

Hi guys! I'm here today with another fantastic makeup item from BornPretty.com! :) As I said before, I just love discovering new, interesting brands of makeup and trying cosmetics that can't be found in our local drugstores! And BornPretty.com is a makeup junkie heaven :))

It comes in two shades, one is a bright pinkish shade and the other is also bright but more yellowish tone. I got the more yellowish one, thinking the pinkish one might be just a bit pale for my skin tone, and, as it turned out, it was a good decision. As you can see on the pictures I took (above and below), the one I got still looks a bit pinkish, but it actually matches my skin very nicely and I can use it as both concealer and highlighter.

I absolutely love this product. It's really tiny (about half, maybe 2/3 the size of Elf concealer), but because you only need a few tiny taps of it, it's amazingly long-lasting. It blends very well and has a creamy consistency that isn't too thick and doesn't settle in your fine lines at all. It smells kind of powdery (personally I really like this smell) and a bit like Nivea lotion. And I just love how moisturizing it feels on my skin.

With this product you will get medium to high coverage and your dark spots and imperfections will be nicely covered. It will give you a very dewy, porcelain doll kind of look. I like using it as a highlighter when I contour, because it blends so well and leaves my skin feeling moist but not oily.

If you're looking for a new concealer/highlighter product to try, I'd recommend this one, especially if your skin needs some extra moisture.

Feel like checking it out and maybe trying for yourself? Here's an extra 10% OFF for you! And remember, Born Pretty ships FREE World Wide (with no minimum purchase!).

Monday, May 11, 2015

I'm beyond excited to share with you today two amazing products from BelleMe Cosmetics sold by AbbaMartBeauty!

I discovered AbbaMart Beauty while browsing #makeup photos on Instagram. I couldn't stop myself - their account immediately drew me in and what I saw there (all the pretty photos!) made me want to know more. I visited their website and of course, couldn't leave without buying a couple of things (I also got two eyeshadows and an eyeliner pencil that I am wearing in the pictures included in this post). The seller was so absolutely fantastic and kind - they actually sent me their gorgeous 4 Ur Eyes Brightener & Primer for review! :) LOVE!!! They sure know how to win over people and make them come back to buy more (I know I will!).

Well, THAT, and their products are just spectacular.I fell in love with all of them!!!

This, my lovelies, is hands down one of the best concealers I've used to date. It's thick and creamy, but surprisingly light on your skin. It just glides on and blends fantastically. Most importantly, despite its thickness, it doesn't settle in your fine lines. It kind of fills them in, so you get an almost air-brushed, smooth look around your eyes and a cool blurring effect. Its light shade really brightens your dark spots and the coverage is just amazing.

It's great for covering up problem spots, too. Like pimples or blemishes - you tap it gently on top and puff! They're gone!

Best thing about it is it fuses with your skin so well, you look like you're not wearing any concealer at all! You look natural and well-rested, and completely flawless! And you just gotta love that price!

This is a new product in AbbaMart Beauty store and it's a total crowd-pleaser. The dual ended packaging is awesome - you have two essential products in one place, so you don't have to rummage through your cosmetic bag anymore (finally someone's thinking!).

On one end, we have eye brightener. It has a more pinkish hue and very light, liquid-y consistency that goes on silky smooth and is just so easy to blend. I don't even bother with my sponge or brush, I just use my fingers to apply this product and it looks fantastic. It definitely brightens up your skin tone and makes your around-the-eye area healthy-looking and radiant. Like the U Can Cover Concealer, this too doesn't settle in fine lines. It feels very light on your skin, but also moisturizing. The coverage is light to medium, but with a bit of concealer on top you'll get a glowing, flawless look.

On the other end, we have the eye primer. This is yet another great quality product. It's really nicely formulated and it makes your eyeshadows pop. When using this primer, I haven't experienced any creasing at all. The eyeshadows stayed in place all day long and their colors didn't fade one bit. I was really quite impressed with how amazing my eyes looked at the end of the day. I've been using this Brightener & Primer duo every day since!

Overall, I am super pleased with all the products I got from AbbaMart Beauty and can't wait to order more. I love trying new makeup products and Asian cosmetics (particularly Korean and Japanese) have always fascinated me. BelleMe has quite a wide array of amazing products and I am looking forward to trying more of them soon! Stay tuned for more reviews :)

Each blogger participating in this hop has a giveaway with a prize value of at least $15 – and some are much more than that! Be sure to scroll down the whole list and visit them all – there is no limit to how many prizes you can win! There will also be a twitter party on May 19th to go along with this hop with even more chances to win. RSVP for that by clicking here. Good Luck and Have Fun!

Hi guys! How's May treating you so far?! It's been super hot here, in Buffalo! We had a very long and cold winter, so this is a nice change :) Hope you're enjoying some mellow, warm weather too!

For this awesome HOP I am teaming up with two amazing companies to bring you some great prizes!

First we have The Contour Shop with their brand new and completely amazing contouring duo - click here to read my full review with pictures and swatches. And we also have the fantastic and essential set of Lookout Lashes - click here to read my review with pictures!

What you can win:

- The Contour Shop has graciously donated 2 sets of their fabulous new product, the Niki Garret Contouring Duo ($14.47 each)! - US Only

With summer right around the corner, we - ladies - all want to look pretty without weighing ourselves down with tons of makeup and false eyelashes. Isn't that right, ladies? Lookout Lashes eyelash curler can certainly help with that.

I'll be honest and admit that I never considered eyelash curlers to be essential beauty tools. I didn't think they actually made a difference! Of course, I was wrong, and I realized that when I first used this cool looking little tool, because it really does make a difference.

My eyelashes are pretty long and thick, so I don't usually have to wear falsies (unless I am going for a smoky eye look or something very popping!). I definitely don't enjoy wearing falsies when it's burning hot outside, because they make me feel like a circus escapee and I am very conscious of the extra weight. With the Lookout Lashes curler, I can achieve a similarly defined look without all the hassle of gluing something on top of my eyelids. The curling pads are thick and very cushion-y, so no worries about accidentally pinching yourself. They also seem gentle on the eyelashes, so they get the job done without damaging your lashes (I had that happen with a cheap kind of eyelash curler once).

The curler comes with a mascara guard, which is another handy-dandy tool that quickly became my absolute must-have; an eyebrow brush and a refill of curling pads. All that is color-coordinated (pink and black!) and very chic looking. I really adore the mascara guard and use it every time I do my makeup, because there's really nothing worse than spending an hour on perfecting your look and then getting it all ruined with a nasty smudge of mascara on your eyelid or under your eye. Plus, using it is just so easy - all you need to do is hold it under your bottom lashes or over your eyelid and then apply the mascara. It's such a simple tool, but really saves you lots of time and frustration.

Overall, I really love this set. It's a functional and well-designed set of tools, it doesn't take up much space at all, it's easy to use and it does what it's supposed to do - it makes your lashes beautifully curled and way more noticeable without applying many layers of mascara or wearing false lashes.

Saturday, May 9, 2015

These sandals are just gorgeous. They're so delicate-looking and very girly. I just love the pretty white pearls on them!

I am a flip-flops and sandals kind of gal, especially during hot summer months. It's very important for me to have shoes that are pretty enough for a summer dress, but also comfortable enough to wear all-day-long. These are just perfect. I took a 45 minutes walk around the neighborhood in these, followed by a shopping trip with my kid, and I didn't get any blisters or scrapes. I thought the leather straps might be a problem, as they are pretty tight, but they do stretch a tiny bit and adjust to the shape of your feet, so the sandals fit very comfortably.

I had similar sandals to these ones last year, but the bottom of those wasn't stiff enough. It would bend down and I often tripped over my own legs. That isn't the case with these, though. The bottom is very stable and the straps grip your feet nicely.

Size wise, they could be just a tiny bit larger. They're not too small per se, they still fit just fine, but I wouldn't mind if the straps were a bit longer for those days when my feet are swollen and need extra wiggle room.

Overall, I am very pleased with these sandals. I will definitely be wearing them often this summer!

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary review sample. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Friday, May 8, 2015

When I was contacted by BornPretty.com and asked to review some of the gorgeous items they have in their store, I was instantly drawn to their makeup/beauty section. I just love Asian cosmetics, they are usually very nice quality and it's so fun to explore new brands and products!

The cream foundation is light to medium coverage and can be built up to cover problem areas. It has more of a yellowish tint, but even if you're skin is more pink (like mine), it blends nicely. It's a matte foundation, with a pretty powdery finish. There is a sponge blender included in this kit, but I apply it with my fingers and it works just fine. I love that when I apply it to my under-eye areas, it doesn't settle in fine lines and it doesn't cake up (I had that happen with some high-end foundations).

I generally try not to apply foundation on the sides of my nose, because most of them tend to clog my pores and accentuate them (it really doesn't look too good, especially up-close). That's something I've been struggling with a lot and even applying pore minimizing and pore blurring products does not help (there's only one liquid foundation that looks good on my nose and that is Neutrogena Healthy Skin). Danni's cream foundation doesn't look too bad on the sides of my nose, though. Its formula doesn't seem to clog my pores at all, and though they don't look perfect, they certainly look better than with most of the products I've used so far.

There are two powder foundations, one is darker and great for applying all over your face and the other is very pale and good for brightening under-eye areas or highlighting on top of cheekbones, under eyebrows or on your forehead. They are both matte with no glow or shimmer at all. And the best thing about them is they actually smell like chocolate!

Overall, I really like this kit. It's amazing quality for such a small price and I'm extremely happy I got to discover this product and this brand. The design of this is very chic and compact, it comes with a mirror and doesn't take up too much space, so it's perfect for touch-ups on the go! I definitely recommend checking it out :)

If you like what you see here and would like to explore BornPretty.com, here's a 10% off coupon for you! Don't forget to use it when you checkout :)

Thursday, May 7, 2015

This is one of the best contour kits I've used to date. I think I like it just as much as I like my Anastasia Beverly Hills contour kit, and this one here is just a fraction of the cost of the other one.

I have a relatively fair skin, especially after the long Buffalo winter, so I thought the contour kit in medium might be a bit too dark for my skin tone, but it's actually a perfect match. The contour powder is matte and kind of a warm chocolate color. It's easy to apply and blends very well, so if you're pale like me you can apply very little of the product and make your face look very nicely sculpted and more attractive. The highlighter is very sparkly and glowy, with some gold speckles in it that give you this incredibly nice, sun-kissed, glowy look. I think it will look even more beautiful in summer time when my skin will be more tanned than now.

This is a powder kit and it's super fine, which means it doesn't settle in the fine lines and wrinkles like some other highlighters and contouring powders. It's a long-lasting product, too. It stays in place, doesn't smudge or rub off, and there is no need to re-apply the product throughout the day.

I find myself reaching for this kit on daily basis and really enjoying adding some extra dimension to my face. My face shape is more on the round side, so contouring in the hollows of my cheeks, a bit on the side of the nose, next to the hairline on my forehead and just a bit on my chin, really makes my face look slimmer and prettier. My nose is pretty long, too and that's something I've always been very conscious of, so putting just a bit of the contour powder on the tip of my nose makes it visually shorter and more attractive. I just love the look I can achieve thanks to this product.

Disclaimer: I received a free review sample for evaluation purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Hi there! I'm Evie! I'm a 20-something year old wife and mom to a beautiful baby-girl, Victoria. I am an avid reader, graphic designer and craft-loving, Supernatural and The Walking Dead obsessed coffee-lover. I love writing about my family, sharing honest opinions about products and services, and socializing with other moms and readers (or reader moms!).

I am the founder and owner (currently co-owner) of a largely successful book blog, Bookish.